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I have a Windows Service that makes use of a SQL Server database. I don't have control over the installation of the service, but would like to add a dependency on the service to ensure that it starts after SQL server has started. (SQL server is running on the same machine as the service in question)

Is there a tool to add a dependency or possibly editing the registry directly?

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6 Answers 6

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This can also be done via an elevated command prompt using the sc command. The syntax is:

sc config [service name] depend= <Dependencies(separated by / (forward slash))>

Note: There is a space after the equals sign, and there is not one before it.

Warning: depend= parameter will overwrite existing dependencies list, not append. So for example, if ServiceA already depends on ServiceB and ServiceC, if you run depend= ServiceD, ServiceA will now depend only on ServiceD. (Thanks Matt!)

Examples

Dependency on one other service:

sc config ServiceA depend= ServiceB

Above means that ServiceA will not start until ServiceB has started. If you stop ServiceB, ServiceA will stop automatically.

Dependency on multiple other services:

sc config ServiceA depend= ServiceB/ServiceC/ServiceD/"Service Name With Spaces"

Above means that ServiceA will not start until ServiceB, ServiceC, and ServiceD have all started. If you stop any of ServiceB, ServiceC, or ServiceD, ServiceA will stop automatically.

To remove all dependencies:

sc config ServiceA depend= /

To list current dependencies:

sc qc ServiceA
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    If you want to see the existing dependencies before changing them with Kip's method, you can type sc qc YourServiceName Commented Oct 1, 2011 at 17:43
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    Just be careful... I just used this and didn't realize that it will overwrite existing dependencies.. there were two for my service that I don't remember.. now they're gone.. oh well! So make sure you run the command @mivk mentioned first to see any other dependencies first. Commented Mar 28, 2013 at 15:49
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    You can query currently configured dependency for a service by using sc qc [service name] command Commented Aug 27, 2013 at 6:57
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    If like me, your Service has spaces in the name, enclose it in quotes. Commented Mar 18, 2014 at 8:46
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    If using powershell, make sure you use sc.exe otherwise you will get error: 'A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument' Commented Apr 17, 2015 at 23:42
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You can add service dependencies by adding the "DependOnService" value to the service in the registry using the regedit command, services can be found under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<Service name>.

Details can be found at MS KB article 193888.

To add dependency:

  1. Select the service subkey, right-click the service name, and then select "New" -> "Multi-String Value" (REG_MULTI_SZ)

    enter image description here

  2. Create a new value name "DependOnService" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK.

    enter image description here

  3. When the Data dialog box appears, type the name or names of the services that you prefer to start before this service with one entry for each line, and then click OK.

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    Holy Cow! That was the fastest answer I've ever received. I barely got back to the home page. Commented Jun 12, 2009 at 14:55
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I was looking for a purely PowerShell (no regedit or sc.exe) method that can work on 2008R2/Win7 and newer, and came up with this:

Easy one is do the regedit with PowerShell:

Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation' -Name DependOnService -Value @('Bowser','MRxSmb20','NSI')

Or, using WMI:

$DependsOn = @('Bowser','MRxSmb20','NSI','') #keep the empty array element at end $svc = Get-WmiObject win32_Service -filter "Name='LanmanWorkstation'" $svc.Change($null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$null,$DependsOn)

The Change method of the Win32_Service class helped point to a solution:

uint32 Change( [in] string DisplayName, [in] string PathName, [in] uint32 ServiceType, [in] uint32 ErrorControl, [in] string StartMode, [in] boolean DesktopInteract, [in] string StartName, [in] string StartPassword, [in] string LoadOrderGroup, [in] string LoadOrderGroupDependencies[], [in] string ServiceDependencies[] );
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I wrote a simple .net application to manage service dependencies, if you are interested. It's free.

http://webpages.charter.net/bushman4/servicedependencymanager.html

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    It is telling me I need .NET 1.1 but I am running windows 7 Commented Jun 17, 2014 at 17:41
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    .Net 1.1 needs to be installed on Windows 7. See the answer to this question: answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/… Commented Jun 18, 2014 at 18:29
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    Really, in 2014 you were recommending installing .NET 1.1 on Win7 instead of just recompiling it for 4.0? Thanks, no. Commented Jul 3, 2015 at 21:43
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In C++ (ATL) I did like this

bool ModifyDependOnService(void) { CRegKey R; if (ERROR_SUCCESS == R.Open(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, L"SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\services\\MyService")) { bool depIsThere = false; // determine if otherservice is installed, if yes, then add to dependency list. SC_HANDLE hSCManager = OpenSCManager(NULL, NULL, SC_MANAGER_CONNECT); if (hSCManager) { SC_HANDLE hService = OpenService(hSCManager, L"OtherService", SERVICE_QUERY_STATUS); if (hService) { depIsThere = true; CloseServiceHandle(hService); } CloseServiceHandle(hSCManager); } std::wstring key = L"DependOnService"; if (depIsThere ) { const wchar_t deps[] = L"RPCSS\0OtherService\0"; R.SetValue(key.c_str(), REG_MULTI_SZ, deps, sizeof(deps)); } R.Close(); return true; } return false; }
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  • though your appproach works, there is an official way for querying/changing a service's configuration using QueryServiceConfigA and ChangeServiceConfigA Commented Nov 10, 2021 at 20:57
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Made a batch "svcDependDelAdd.BAT" to delete and/or add a dependency to a service, it won't add if it doesn't exist. Can be called. The advantage over accepted answer is that it won't delete other dependencies, just delete (or add) the one you need. Help included:

@echo off set PARAM=%* _& REM _ avoid PARAM being empty if no param passed, %* are rest of parameters passed rem https://serverfault.com/questions/24821/how-to-add-dependency-on-a-windows-service-after-the-service-is-installed/1165202#1165202 IF not "%PARAM:/noh=%"=="%PARAM%" goto :noHelp echo . echo . svcDependDelAdd v24.0915 echo . Removes and/or adds a dependency service, "none" may be specified: echo . echo . svcDependDelAdd targetSvc [[dependSvcToDelete] dependSvcToAdd] [/switches] echo . echo . echo . switches: echo . /noHelp: don't show this echo . /noPause: at end echo . echo . Examples: echo . svcDependDelAdd nlaSvc /noh/nop (list of nlaSvc depends separated by \0^) echo . svcDependDelAdd nlaSvc eventLog (Removes eventLog dependency from nlaSvc^) echo . svcDependDelAdd none eventLog (Adds eventLog dependency to nlaSvc^) echo . echo . :noHelp setlocal enableextensions enableDelayedExpansion & REM to get var value at exec with !varNm! rem Target service, ie: "nlaSvc"; or "aelookupsvc" has no dependenies set "targSvc=%1" rem set to "none" if it is empty, or if it has a slash {/ switch} IF not "!targSvc:/=!"=="!targSvc!" set "targSvc=none" rem Dependency to del, may be blank/invalid/undef, ie: "Eventlog" set "delDep=%2" IF not "!delDep:/=!"=="!delDep!" set "delDep=none" rem dependency to add, may be blank/none/undef, won't add unexistant service set "addDep=%3" IF not "!addDep:/=!"=="!addDep!" set "addDep=none" rem echo "%targSvc%" "%delDep%" "%addDep%" rem check service existance if not "!targSvc:none=!"=="" ( rem not "none" and not empty sc qc "!targSvc!" >nul 2>&1 if errorlevel 1 ( set errMsg=Svc "%targSvc%" not found & goto :error ) ) else ( set errMsg=No service specified & goto :error ) rem Get dependencies list of %targSvc% set depList=\0 for /f "usebackq tokens=1,2,*" %%x in (`reg query HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\%targSvc% /v DependOnService`) do ( if "%%y"=="REG_MULTI_SZ" set "depList=%%z\0" ) & rem endList rem delete: find it and set newDep list set "newDep=!depList!" & rem newDep list to set if "!depList!"=="\0" ( echo %targSvc% no dependencies found! ) else ( echo "%targSvc%" dependencies list: "!depList!" rem remove dependency from newDep if not "!delDep:none=!"=="" ( set "newDep=!depList:%delDep%\0=!" rem set "newDep=!newDep:\0\0=\0!" if "!newDep!"=="!depList!" ( echo "%delDep%" not found in "%targSvc%" ) else echo del "%delDep%" found ) & rem delDep ) rem add: find and set newDep list if not "!addDep:none=!"=="" if "!newDep:%addDep%\0=!"=="!newDep!" ( rem not none/empty, and not already present on newDep list reg query HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\%addDep% 1>nul 2>&1 if errorlevel 1 ( echo add "%addDep%" not found ) else ( echo add "%addDep%" found set "newDep=!newDep!%addDep%\0" & rem add to list if "!depList!"=="\0" set "newDep=%addDep%" & rem original list was empty ) ) else echo add "%addDep%" already present rem write newDep list if "!newDep!"=="!depList!" ( echo Nothing to do... ) else ( echo newDep List "!newDep!" ... reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\%targSvc% /v DependOnService /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "!newDep!" /f if errorlevel 1 ( set errMsg=couldn't update "%targSvc%" DependOnSevice key & goto :error ) ) echo -DONE- goto :fin :error echo\ Error: !errMsg! :fin echo\ IF "%PARAM:/nop=%"=="%PARAM%" pause
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